On this week’s Blowout… REED’S CORNER IS OFFICIALLY COOKED. Or at least the corner of Birkenstock Boston’s and Able to Buy Whenever. (Spoiler: He blames TikTok.) But because discovery is often generated out of necessity and Bostons are officially Pop Music now, that also means mules are Mainstream™, which has forced — yes, forced — us to investigate some alternative options in the Big Comfort footwear category. And guess what? Alongside oversized everything and a near-extinction event for hard-bottoms, the Mule Market is thriving my guys.

Also: We answer some listener questions from the Discord and probably talk about other things, but don’t worry it’s mostly Mules.

Links:

• 3sixteen has these, and are running a roughout now too.
• ALD is making garden clogs. They look cool.
• Chillbies (Reed’s favorites and US made!)
• The Blackstock Ellis/Horsebits
• Fear of God joints
• Fancy Boston’s
• Crocs (you can find them give Google Ads a workout I guess)
• Subus (Reed maintains that these are mostly just Thermoballs)
• New Balance 2002R
• Suicokes
• The Nepenthes Suite:
  • Easy Mocs
  • Troentorp x Needles Clogs
  • Rhodo Mary Janes

​​What Smoking Slippers Talk About When They Talk About Smoking

Hear the full episode on Heddels+:

http://heddels.plus

Reed and Albert delve back into the world of carny-core with some advice on jort-ifying your jeans, what we liked at Paris Fashion Week, and what the new "heritage" is.

Saddle up, partner! We're here to talk about how the image of the cowboy is a manufactured piece of myth-making that helped spread denim pants all across these United States. In part 6 of our denim history marathon, Reed and David discuss the origins of the actual cowboys in the tradition of Mexican vaqueros and how that morphed into denim clad gunslingers on the silver screen.

Listen in for all that and more on this week's episode. As always, listeners get 10% off at the Heddels Shop with the code BLOWOUT.

If you have any questions you’d like us to answer, topics to cover, or people to talk to, email us at blowout@heddels.com. Also help us out by dropping a review!

As the rivet cold war subsided out west, blue jeans went national. We dig into the effects rail connectivity had on the expansion of jeans eastward and how certain companies began dividing up the map into regional territories, establishing the modern day "Big Three" of Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler/Blue Bell.

Listen in for all that and more on this week's episode. As always, listeners get 10% off at the Heddels Shop with the code BLOWOUT.

If you have any questions you’d like us to answer, topics to cover, or people to talk to, email us at blowout@heddels.com. Also help us out by dropping a review!

We're back in 1870s San Francisco and Reed and David are exploring the fallout of Levi Strauss and Jacob Davis's exclusive patent to put rivets on pants, creating the first iteration of what we know as jeans today. The resulting  period kicked off an arms race of competing brands trying to make their own inventions to compete with the patent-protected riveted Levi's pants.

If you'd like to learn more, much of the reference for this episode is from Michael Allen Harris's phenomenal book Jeans of the Old West. If you'd like to support the work we're doing, check out the Heddels Shop where we have a new selection of Teamster Tees in Black and Grey. As always, listeners get 10% off with the code BLOWOUT.

It's nearly the end of the 2020 election in the United States. And David's taking this week's episode to explain why something seemingly innocuous as a pair of jeans is very much a product of and affected by our political system.

If you live here, please take the time to vote either in person or by dropping off your ballot. In many states, you can register same day and you can check right here where the correct spot is for you to go:

https://www.vote.org/polling-place-locator/

Be safe out there, we'll be back to Denim History next week!

We did it, I swear we actually talk about jeans in this one! It's only taken about 90 minutes of background history for us to go from fabric to pants made out of that fabric. In this episode we delve into the rough history of the town that birthed the modern blue jean, San Francisco and the hardscrabble gold rushers that made it boom. Including two local immigrants who made a deal that would change pants forever.

If you like this show, be sure to subscribe and give us a review. It'll help us get heard by more people, which in turn, will help us make more things you can hear! Also, buy some Denim Wash. Get free shipping on your Denim Wash order with the code HEDDELSLAUNDROMAT.

The story of denim continues—into the newly formed United States! David and Reed explore the development of mass production textiles in the early days of America and what life was like in these mill towns of 1800s New England. And then we discuss a person who unknowingly created the conditions that lead to millions of people being enslaved and probably caused the U.S. Civil War (and then he knowingly invented a faster and cheaper way to build guns).

All that and more on this week's episode! If you want an easy entry into the world of denim, check out our selection of Tellason Stock jeans and jackets available on the Heddels Shop—10% off now with the code BLOWOUT at checkout.

Denim is the thrust of what we discuss on Heddels - and our original namesake in Rawr Denim. It’s become the people’s fabric, democratized into ubiquity around the world in just 150 short years.

But how did it get there? How are we at the point where jeans can be the “default pant option” for a large part of the globe? We’re getting into the history of denim on a new series, and in this episode we're starting at the beginning in the "Speculation Zone" around the origin of our favorite fabric. We dig into the etymology of denim and the many competing theories of where denim jeans (and denim and jean) first developed.

If you want an easy entry into the world of denim, check out our selection of Tellason Stock jeans and jackets available on the Heddels Shop—10% off now with the code BLOWOUT at checkout!

We could put a man on the moon, but recently we couldn't put a piece of fabric on our collective faces. What happened to the mythical "Made in USA" of yore? Was there ever a Golden Age of American manufacturing? How did we get there and can we recapture it again?

David and Reed put on their historian speculation hats and dig into why things used to be made in America, why workers used to be paid more, and why things in this country once functioned much more equitably than they do now.

If you want a piece of union made in USA goodness, have a look at the Teamster Tees available on the Heddels Shop—10% off now with the code BLOWOUT at checkout!

Reed and David discuss what fall fashion and the typical "back to school" buying season will look like as they wear their respective basketball shorts and t-shirts. Is there going to be a need to buy clothes for this upcoming season as so many stay inside and many more face financial uncertainty? We also get into our favorites on the Taco Bell menu and ponder if celebrities can use mask wearing as a way to send body doubles out to do public appearances.

If you want to support the show, have a look at the new Teamster Tees on the Heddels Shop. We're currently backordered but should have more stock coming in shortly, as always, take 10% with the code BLOWOUT. Send emails with questions, comments, etc. to blowout@heddels.com

Heddels writer Reed Nelson and managing editor David Shuck run down the issues of the day including the mass exodus of retail in NYC (and what's left to fill it besides real estate speculators), how postal slowdowns/shutdowns affect small business, and should Patagonia be given any credit for taking this long to cut ties with potential forced labor in Xinjiang. Also we make fun of random PR emails for a long time.

If you want to support the show, have a look at the new Teamster Tees on the Heddels Shop. We're currently backordered but should have more stock coming in shortly, as always, take 10% with the code BLOWOUT. Send emails with questions, comments, etc. to blowout@heddels.com

David is gone, off on his epic voyage and sabbatical. Reed and Albert discuss surveillance, the possible rise of carny-core, and make sure to include a little bad news in David's honor.

In the early twentieth century, it's estimated that 70%-95% of all clothing worn in America was made in a small section of midtown Manhattan. In 2020 it's less than 3%, but NYC's Garment District is still one of the most crucial communities in the entire global fashion industry. However, it's shrunk to the point where it's at risk of being uprooted and destroyed entirely.

We're talking with Alex Robins, one half of the linen-focused brand Blluemade, about what it's like to do all of their production in the Garment District, transporting their collections via subway, and their fight to keep the factories and finishers that helped them start their business alive.

If you'd like to support this episode, have a look at the Heddels Shop and check out our new selection of madras western shirts from Left Field, made in USA from authentic Indian madras, and get 10% off with the code BLOWOUT.

The man, the myth, the legend. We've got an hour with the most passionate man in denim, a Swiss geographer named Ruedi Karrer who also has one of the largest private collections of denim in the world. Since the early 1970s, Ruedi has grabbed up nearly every scrap of raw indigo he could get his hands on, amassing a total of 16,000 denim garments in his "Jeansmuseum of Heaviest Fadings". Learn all about Ruedi's life in denim (doing everything from climbing Kilimanjaro to attending weddings and funerals), his days of environmental activism, and his future plans for the Jeansmuseum and his exclusive birthday jeans in this week's episode.

Also, this week we're promoting our new arrivals of Ashland shell cordovan wallets in the Heddels Shop. Made in Chicago from Chicago-tanned Horween shell cordovan, these wallets are made to outlast whatever they're holding and whatever pocket they're put in. Get 10% off them at the Heddels Shop with code BLOWOUT.

Also, if you're interested in donating your jeans to the Jeansmuseum, visit the museum website and email all your questions/comments to blowout@heddels.com.

We're back this week with another two discussions. First we chat with our editor James Smith about a recent article of his documenting his journey buying clothes as a vegan and avoiding all animal products (https://www.heddels.com/2020/06/my-experience-of-navigating-quality-menswear-as-a-vegan/) and all the difficulties and decisions that requires. Then David talks with Jaime Wong, the owner of Raggedy Threads (http://www.raggedythreads.com/), about her 20+ years buying and selling vintage workwear. Learn about The Real McCoy's Polish horse farm, the history of the Buddy Lee doll, what it takes to sell at the Rose Bowl and more!

Be sure to check out our new offerings on the Heddels Shop (https://shop.heddels.com) this week and take 10% off with the code BLOWOUT. Also, send us your questions, tips, and sounds to blowout@heddels.com!

We're back! Unfortunately a lot of other brands and retailers aren't. In this Heddels podcast reboot, David talks with writer Albert Muzquiz on his articles following the fallout of Covid-19 on the clothing business (spoiler:  it hasn't been great). Then we have a lengthy chat with all-around denim renaissance man Mohsin Sajid about his 20 year career designing, consulting, and educating about all things indigo, including his latest push for a greater use of hemp in the textile industry.

Also, take 10% off your next purchase at the Heddels Shop this week with the code BLOWOUT, including our newly stocked Waltzing Matilda sandals. Handmade in Maine from Horween Chromexcel leather, these are flip flops that will last you for many many seasons. https://shop.heddels.com

You can find Albert's articles here:

J.Crew: https://www.heddels.com/2020/05/another-one-bites-the-dust-j-crew-files-for-bankruptcy/

CARES Act: https://www.heddels.com/2020/05/the-harsh-reality-of-the-paycheck-protection-program/

J.C. Penney: https://www.heddels.com/2020/05/j-c-penneys-long-slow-decline/

Brooks Bros.: https://www.heddels.com/2020/05/a-brooks-brothers-without-american-manufacturing/

Gitman: https://www.heddels.com/2020/06/gitman-shuts-a-plant/

Here's Mohsin's vintage sewing machine piece: https://www.heddels.com/2015/02/vintage-sewing-machines-the-complete-guide/

And his webinar on hemp in denim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AthZzgROhSc

If you've got questions, comments, or want to submit your own industrial audio, email us at blowout@heddels.com

We've made it to 100 episodes! Only for David to leave immediately. Our final fully attended discussion gets into Facebook's push for digital clothes, featuring Balenciaga, Prada, and Thom Browne and the search for the perfect pair of mesh shorts.

Thank you for joining us for nearly 100 hours. Help us out by joining Heddels+ or by visiting the Heddels Shop, 10% off with code BLOWOUT.

Hear the full episode on Heddels+:

http://heddels.plus

David talks with perennial Blowout guest, photographer Eric Kvatek in advance of his round the world trip. Hear tips, tricks, and how Eric was once inadvertently a mailman on a Mexican train.

Join Heddels+ to hear the full episode:

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Albert's back everyone! And we herald his return with discussion of the most relevant news of the day, Kim K stretching out Marilyn Monroe's dress at the Met Gala. But it goes deeper than that, should we be wearing historically significant and rare items like truly vintage denim? And when does a garment stop being a garment? Also we revisit discussion of how to learn about fashion online and work through a case of Outlier  clothing that I'm testing for future travel.

How does one start down the long indigo path online these days? We're beyond the heyday of blogs and Tumblr and have moved into the realm of reels, reels that involve some guy telling you to tuck in your shirt or pull your hoodie through your beltloops. Reed and David discuss the prospect of starting out as a fashion neophyte these days and the various posts and influencers one might encounter.

We also get into the following:

• Barns Shaggy Dog Cardigan
• The horror of long-sleeve Hawaiians
• Why anyone would want a half-zip western
• And Manresa

Join Heddels+ for more and visit the Heddels Shop for 10% with the code BLOWOUT.

Hear the full episode on Heddels+:

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If peeing your pants is cool, you can buy some jeans that already look like they've been peed in at Wet Pants Denim (complete with pisscoin). We also discuss the rise of Fettermania and what a Dickies and Carhartt clad Senate candidate means for the future of political dress and the agony and ecstasy of trying to sell your used clothing online.

In our niche, getting your jeans repaired is in many ways more important than buying them in the first place, and we had the opportunity to discuss with someone who knows all the ins and outs about both. Satchel B. Moore started Science and Kindness Denim Repair in the early 2010s to complement his day job selling raw denim at BlackBlue in Saint Paul, Minnesota and it has since grown into a fully-fledged repair studio doing any fabric fix or alteration you can imagine on a full roster of vintage machines.

We chat with Satchel about everything from his early days buying Cheap Monday jeans from online proxies to fitting heavyweight flat-fells through a Union Special 43200G.

You can start your own repair by visiting their website, scienceandkindness.net or on Instagram @scienceandkindness. Also, Heddels+ members get 1 Free Chainstitch hem, OR $35 dollars off any service, OR 20% off any service over $100 per month (shipping not included).

Five pairs. If you only had five pairs of shoes to get you through every single possible scenario in your life, what would you choose? We make our cases for shoes past, present, and future that are up to the task. We also discuss New York state's upcoming bill banning polyfluoroalkyls (PFAs) that are used in millions and millions of garments every year and have serious health and environmental consequences.

Thank you to our sponsor, Science and Kindness Denim Repair. Whether your jeans fit so well they are wearing out or need some adjustments to truly earn your love, Science and Kindness Denim Repair understands. Discrete crotch repairs? Yeah. Sashiko? Yeah. Chainstitch embroidery? Yeah. Union Specials? Yeah. Period correct Big E patches? Yeah!

They go hard when it comes to your jeans but it’s not hard to get things taken care of usually within two weeks. No waitlist. No judgement. Just your jeans-- better. By mail or drop-off in St. Paul, MN. @Sciencendkindness on instagram to see our work, scienceandkindness.net for an estimate or to get started. A free chainstitch hem and repair/service discounts for all Heddels+ members. Science and Kindness — Less Yikes.

David

1. Lowa Renegade GTX Max
2. Mizuno Wave Ascend 8
3. Yuketen Pedro Roper
4. Vans Eras
5. Gucci 1953 Horsebit Loafer

Albert

1. Hoka Clifton 7 Running Shoes
2. Paraboot Chambord
3. Chuck 70s
4. New Balance 990v5
5. Pull on boot

Reed

1. Birkenstock Bostons
2. Adidas Powerphase
3. Scarpa Instinct VS
4. Nike Free 2 Trail or the Adidas Terrex joints
5. Loafer, likely Alden Handsewn 

To hear the full episode, join Heddels+:

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Praise be to Ryan for salvaging this episode that was recorded in undisclosed locations in northern Nevada. We discuss the California look after I witnessed a significant amount of it on a recent trip, swimsuit options available to the modern man, and how the trends are swerving into Reed's lane.

Now that Ye is getting himself canceled, what would it take for Pitbull to take over the fashion zeitgeist. We don't think it would be that hard. 

Albert reviews Don't Worry Darling and the cool sneakers he saw in the crowd. Reed continues to deprive Albert of his sneaker connections. Albert begs a stranger at a party for shoes. Reed gets every sneaker he ever wants without even trying. 

We embed a message to Andrew about Johan's free shoe life.

SWEATER TALK - Reed knows a ton about sweaters and owns too many. We discuss the models, details, and fits that we love most. Albert chimes in with some sweatshirt love (more appropriate for his climate). Tennis sweater, cricket sweaters, the only appropriate venue for a v-neck, etc. Loopwheeled vs. cheap sweats.

Big raw jeans are in vogue? Unfaded? Cool kids all around seem to be wearing big, stiff jeans - and although Reed and Albert disagree about which shoes look best with them, they agree the look can be cool. 

We discuss Ye... even before the latest brouhaha had come out... we have to, right?

Denim. Why is it funny? Is it because it's so ubiquitous or is there something comedic inherent to its nature that makes you laugh when you see it fashioned into a couch or boots or sunglasses? We attempt to answer this and other deep questions, like "Are the provisions in the new FABRIC Act proposed by US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand going to be enough to bring back American manufacturing jobs?" and "Should Albert soak his deadstock 501s?" All that and more above.

Thank you to our sponsor, Science and Kindness Denim Repair. Whether your jeans fit so well they are wearing out or need some adjustments to truly earn your love, Science and Kindness Denim Repair understands. Discrete crotch repairs? Yeah. Sashiko? Yeah. Chainstitch embroidery? Yeah. Union Specials? Yeah. Period correct Big E patches? Yeah!

They go hard when it comes to your jeans but it’s not hard to get things taken care of usually within two weeks. No waitlist. No judgement. Just your jeans-- better. By mail or drop-off in St. Paul, MN. @Sciencendkindness on instagram to see our work, scienceandkindness.net for an estimate or to get started. A free chainstitch hem and repair/service discounts for all Heddels+ members. Science and Kindness — Less Yikes.

David here, I wasn't here for this episode and I haven't listened to it yet, but I'm sure it's great and it's about everything the notes claim:

• Critiquing Met Gala fits
• The colonial history of Safari shirts
• Reed goes on a tangent about candy themed clothes

Etc. etc., I can't wait for both of us to listen to it. Also, join Heddels+ and shop at the Heddels Shop!

Listen to the full episode on Heddels+:

http://heddels.plus

When you get on a plane, are you dressing for yourself? For your fellow passengers? Or for a certain Washington Post op-ed writer? We dive into the airplane dress code debate and the validity of all dress codes in general.

We also discuss the multitude of items in the Wachowski's prop auction and our picks for best general releases, including:

• Birkenstock Boston
• Nike Blazer
• Reebok Club C or Reebok Leather Original
• Nike Cortez
• Adidas Samba
• Jordan 1 Low
• 990 series
• Adidas Campus 80s
• Gazelles
• Reebok Beatniks

Send us your picks for the best general releases at blowout@heddels.com.

It may very well be a bucket that drains your bank account this spring. We're talking hats of course, the pocketable fabric cap that looks like it's ready to peak this summer season. We look back on its origins in the Irish countryside, adoption by the military, and eventually taking its place in mainstream pop culture. We also have a few picks to put on your bucket list:

• Blluemade’s bucket hat in steel blue linen
• Kapital’s Old Man and the Sea Bucket Hat
• Propper ripstop boonie hat
• And Wander pe-co hat
• Universal Works seersucker bucket hat

Plus we discuss the horrifying consumerism of one Orange County brand director.

Join Heddels+ and shop at Heddels Shop, Le Laboureur is back and 10% off with code BLOWOUT!

Hear the full episode on Heddels+:

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Cat's out of the bag! I (David) am planning an extensive six month trip through Europe and Asia for the latter half of this year. I'm going to ride as many trains and eat as many weird things as I possibly can (more on this to come in future articles), but how does one pack for being continuously mobile across 30+ countries, climates, and time zones? Reed and Albert help me sort through the good, bad, and ugly that will and won't fit into my bag.

We also discuss the origins of the returning bell bottom trend and the bell.b0ys of Tiktok leading the vanguard.

On the mean streets of San Francisco, one garment is ready to tear the entire city apart:  the Patagonia fleece vest. What you wear is often the first thing you can say to the world, and in the Bay, the vest is an extremely loaded statement. We get into Bobby Allyn's NPR piece about the agony and the ecstasy of going vested in San Francisco.

We also discuss the following:

• Knickerbocker x Kleman Dimori Sandal
• North Face Purple Label Mountain Field Pants
• Unique Garment Urban Type 2
• Burgus Plus Overdyed Hoodie

Remember to join Heddels+ if you haven't already and visit the Heddels Shop, as always, 10% off with code BLOWOUT.

Hear the full episode on Heddels+:

http://heddels.plus

How old were you when you had your first job? Hopefully it was older than what's showing on Nike's interactive production map, where the average age of some country's factories is listed at 15. Have a look at their interactive map. [UPDATE 4/7/22: Nike has addressed what they're calling a "data error" and the information on the map has changed since recording and no countries currently list an average age below 20.]

We also dive into our Spring/Summer trend predictions, so buy up your alt-Crocs models early!

When buying a new product these days, the search often starts (and ends) with Google. But how does Google tell you what to buy and where to go? And how are publishers telling Google what to tell you? The world of ecommerce has become more and more concentrated around a single source and we explore what that means when trying to buy something like a pair of sneakers or a toaster.

We also discuss the state of retail and what it's like to work on a sales floor these days with ever shifting customer expectations.

Be sure to check out the Heddels Shop and join Heddels+ for more Blowout.

Listen to the full episode on Heddels+:

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It's been a minute since we've gone deep on product so we thought we could catch up and catch up in style with a whole episode devoted to our product picks and misses (with a short aside on Victorian era crotchless underpants). We get into the following:

• Burgus Plus Ripstop Cargo Pants - Leopard
• Viberg Wholecut Derby Boot - Taupe Horsebutt
• Epperson Mountaineering - Large Climb Tote w/ Vintage NASA Patch - Clay
• Master-piece Potential V3 Waist Bag Black
• The Rite Stuff Atlas Salt & Pepper Work Shirt (Cedar)
• Iron Heart POLARTEC® Fleece Vest - Black
• Loewe Distressed Denim Shoes
• Le Laboureur Cape de Berger
• Scott Fraser Collection High-Waisted Denim Jeans
• Corridor Space Dye Cardigan in Sunset

Also check out the Heddels Shop, 10% off with code BLOWOUT.

A few weeks ago we had a discussion about Burberry’s use of Wehrmacht-esque Nazi camoflauge patterns in their winter collection and that put me back in touch with Charles McFarlane, who is one of the most well informed individuals I know on all things military uniforms. Charles is a second-year masters student in Costume Studies at NYU, whose research focuses on the intersection of military uniforms and popular fashion and the soldier as a consumer of fashion. He has also been a contributor at GQ, Put This On, Gear Patrol, Heddels, and his own substack Combat Threads.

We had the opportunity to discuss the origins of camo, some of the patterns you'd most likely want to avoid, and how to get a start in collecting and wearing military clothing in your wardrobe.

Join Heddels+ and shop at Heddels Shop, 10% off with code BLOWOUT>

Our rock in this ever-changing world, David Shuck, is back for an episode from the road. Our brave traveler (and co-host on hiatus) calls in about Georgian nightlife, bootleg wine, and big news from Patagonia. Enjoy a joyous reunion of all three of the Blowout boys and learn a little bit about what the hipsters in Tbilisi are wearing right now. David admits we were right about our packing suggestions and tells us how he's keeping his grody clothes clean on the road. Everything you wanted to know about cleaning your three pairs of underwear in an Eastern European hotel sink but were afraid to ask.

Hi, I'm David Shuck and welcome to Blowout! We were recently graced with a new entry in the Jackass franchise and we thought it appropriate to detail the many fits and stylings that the band of pranksters and stunt artists have donned over the last 20+ years. Reed, Albert, and I run through the clothing of Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Wee Man, Bam, and many more.

Listen to the episode above, sign up for Heddels+, and get 10% off at the Heddels Shop with the code BLOWOUT.

Listen to the full episode at Heddels+:

https://www.heddels.com/join-heddels-plus/

A vibe shift is coming, are you prepared? Reed and David dissect the idea of a "vibe shift" and the previous vibes we have experienced in the last 20 years while riffing off of a recent New York Magazine article.

*Spoiler alert: if you're listening to this, you probably didn't survive the last vibe shift.

Join Heddels+ http://heddels.plus and shop at the Heddels Shop https://shop.heddels.com !

What is the shoe policy in your home? Are you a sane person that asks guests to take their shoes off at the entrance? If so, you may not want to invite WSJ columnist Kris Frieswick into your home because they made their stance loud and clear in a piece titled, "Here’s Why I’ll Be Keeping My Shoes on in Your Shoeless Home”:  https://www.wsj.com/articles/heres-why-ill-be-keeping-my-shoes-on-in-your-shoeless-home-11644503227

We go over Kris's errors as well as the apparent facade of organic cotton uncovered in a recent NYT article:  https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/13/world/organic-cotton-fraud-india.html

Plus we get into product talk on a Sassafras Diggin Half Cotton Tweed Black Shirt: https://shoplostfound.com/products/sassafras-diggin-half-cotton-tweed-black

Momotaro's Green-Tea Dyed Ochazome Sashiko Type II https://www.okayamadenim.com/collections/new-restocks/products/momotaro-ochazome-type-2-sashiko-jacket

And our Bootleg Bootcut Returns https://shop.heddels.com/collections/wrangler/products/wrangler-13mwz-raw-denim-jean?variant=39670302179395

Hear the full episode and much more on Heddels+:

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If you own a tote bag and have my phone number, chances are you have texted me about a new PBS documentary that just released this week. I’m of course talking about “Riveted: The History of Jeans”, the latest in PBS’s “American Experience” series directed by Michael Bicks and Anna Lee Strachan. The documentary traces indigo twill cloth from its origins in Northern Africa, Italy, and France in the late Renaissance through the American enslaved peoples, gold miners, biker gangs, high fashion, and hip hop. We all watched it and I guess my gut reaction is it was good but they could’ve talked more about Taco Bell.

We get into that as well as the rebirth, or lack thereof, of Brooks Bros. and J.Crew in a recent GQ article. Find all that and more on this week's episode.

It took over a decade, but Levi's finally upped the price of the 501 and it still hasn't matched the rate of inflation. We discuss Levi's latest statement on raising their prices, Uniqlo getting into the repairs game, Burberry using a Nazi Waffen-SS camo pattern in their latest collection, and David's experience at the Outdoor Retailer tradeshow.

Get 10% off your order at the Heddels Shop with the code BLOWOUT, and join Heddels+ for even more Blowout episodes!

To hear the full episode, join Heddels+:

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Inadvertently or not, Carhartt has waded into the culture war with a recently leaked memo saying they're going to maintain their company vaccine mandate after the Supreme Court struck down OSHA's federal mandate for employers. We discuss the efficacy of burning bought and paid for items for a political end and the cynicism inherent in being a brand making statements to begin with. Also Albert discusses some tiktok #drama about the ethics of buying dupes. All that and more on Heddels+!

To pick up the newest release from G-Star, you just have to renounce all of your worldly possessions. We've got discussion of denim monk habits, including what other religious brand collabs we'd like to see, plus another brand (Aime Leon Dore) being sacrificed on the altar of global capital. We also go deep on a few products:

• Shaggy Melton Wool CPO Sloppy Shirt Coat - Black
• Vague Watch Company Every-One “Explorers” Automatic Watch
• Hikers Suspender Things

Subscribe to Heddels Plus, shop at Heddels Shop, and email us at blowout@heddels.com.

To hear the full episode, join Heddels+:

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New York state could pass the most comprehensive and impactful fashion transparency bill in history and a man supposedly owes Santoni $7,000 for a pair of Oxfords gone awry. We've got that plus trying to figure out how I can hurt myself with food for my birthday. (Yes, those are all real shoes from the Santoni website.)

And don't forget, all listeners get 10% off at the Heddels Shop with code BLOWOUT.

I hope you got something good for the holidays, because New Balance got a federal lawsuit. The Boston-based shoemaker is being sued for false advertising that their "Made in USA" line of sneakers isn't entirely made in USA per the Federal Trade Commissions guidelines. We look into what 70% of a shoe could entail, talk about our holiday hauls, and play "Is it too costumey?" on a fresh edition of product talk:

• Freenote Cloth Western Rambler Shirt
• Pendleton Wool Zip up Sweater
• Post O’alls Craftmaster 3 Ikat Indigo Pullover

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In the pantheon of classic denim movies, we all know "Rebel Without a Cause", "The Wild One", "The Outsiders", etc. but there's room for one more: the 1996 classic Jackie Chan romp "Rumble in the Bronx". No costumer would take credit for the outfits seen on screen, but there sure are a lot of them. Hear how this little Hong Kong/Canadian production promoted Jackie Chan to worldwide stardom in a sexy union suit.

Albert trauma-dumps, his sister is totally fine now, by the way! Reed and Albert try and figure out how to have fun dressing even during the height of a heat-wave. How to find a good tee - buy from an establishment you like, rob your dad, etc. 

The main event - what to wear on a first date! Reed and Albert attempt to set down some ground rules on what to wear on your first dates. How to look comfy and at ease and yet show your date-partner that you actually care. Don't stray too far from the things you normally wear. We run down a few situations that should hopefully help you all in all your dating endeavors! 

BWOOOMP! BWOOOMP! It's the trend alert sound! We're talking Boa Fleece this week, the retro deep polyester pile that it seems every brand has put out in the last year. We talk it's history, how it's made, and why we think its tufted head is popping up so prominently in this particular moment. We also talk about our most difficult break in experiences and do a product lightning round, including:

• California Diner Roll Returns: Barns Cozun Sweat Parka
• Yuks Type 1 Moccasin F OG Brown
• Alaska Sleeping Bag Viking Safari Jacket
• Kapital Snowflake Denim

Subscribe for more of this at Heddels+, get 10% your Heddels Shop order with code BLOWOUT (look for new Stan Ray and Columbiaknit soon), and email us at blowout@heddels.com call us at ‪(720) 675-7098‬.

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While there were many deals this past week, there were also STEALS! We're of course talking about the shoplifting mania that's sweeping the nation (and how for the most part it doesn't exist). We also discuss our respective Black Friday hauls and remember Virgil Abloh after his untimely passing.